Dry conditions and lightning from passing thunderstorms kept wildfire crews busy over the weekend as fires were spotted in numerous locations in southwest Montana — including fires in the larger region around Butte, Anaconda and Philipsburg.
The Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest reported Sunday that the Grouse Fire is burning in the upper end of Grouse Creek off the Pioneer Scenic Byway about 10 miles southwest of Wise River.
“Fire behavior has been very active and extreme,” the Forest Service said in a news release.
The fire, which started July 25, is burning in heavy timber, in steep and rocky terrain.
“Available fuels include large amounts of dead and down trees,” the Forest Service reported, posing added hazards to firefighters, limiting access and affecting on-the-ground progress.
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“Fire retardant from air tankers is not effective in these fuel and landscape conditions. Crews disengaged during the afternoon hours of July 26 due to active fire behavior and the lack of safety and/or landing zones for helicopters.”
Three helicopters assisted with water bucket drops during the initial attack phase.
About 80 personnel are fighting the fire, estimated to be about 70 acres to 80 acres. The cause is undetermined. Work is underway to identify and prioritize “critical values at risk.”
The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation reported that the lightning-caused Horse Canyon Fire, reported Friday afternoon, was burning 11 miles northwest of Philipsburg in Granite County.
More specifically, the fire was near Arbuckle Gulch by Upper Willow Creek Road.
As of Sunday morning, the fire was judged to be about 80 acres, smoldering in open grass and timber.
The DNRC reported Sunday that 80 personnel are committed to fighting the fire, which was said to be about 30% contained.
Structures in the area “are not directly threatened at this time,” DNRC reported. There are no evacuation warnings or orders in place but the agency asked that homeowners in the area remain alert.
Meanwhile, a Sunday update from the U.S. Forest Service about the Blacktail Canyon Fire near Butte was reported to be 95% contained by Sunday morning. An evacuation warning for residences in the fire’s proximity was rescinded.
Containment of a fire implies there are secure firelines around the perimeter, directly next to the edge where the fire burned.
“Fire behavior was minimal yesterday,” the Forest Service reported Sunday. “Little to no smoke was visible.”
Firefighters working for the Forest Service, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the DNRC, along with airtankers and helicopters, responded aggressively to fight the fire late last week in an area rife with beetle-killed lodgepole pines.
